Site visit and informational hearing for the proposed Beacon Solar Energy Project to be held on June 11

The California Energy Commission has scheduled a site visit and informational hearing for the proposed 250-megawatt Beacon Solar Energy Project in Kern County. The public is invited to attend.

When:

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Where:

Council Chambers, 21000 Hacienda Boulevard, California City

Who:
Commissioner Karen Douglas, presiding member of the committee that will ensure that the project meets the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act will lead the site visit and informational hearing. These steps are the first in a formal process that allows the public, governmental agencies and other interested parties to participate in the review of the planned power plant.

What:
Beacon Solar LLC plans to develop the 250-megawatt solar thermal generating complex in Kern County. The project is planned for the western edge of the Mojave Desert along the California State Route 14 corridor, about four miles from California City and 15 miles from the town of Mojave.

The project would be situated on 2,012-acres of private land that used to be an agricultural site and would produce electricity using parabolic trough solar thermal technology. Thousands of parabolic mirrors assembled in rows would receive and concentrate the solar energy to produce steam for powering a steam turbine generator.

Why:
If approved by the Commission the project will begin construction in the third quarter of 2009, with commercial operations targeted for the third quarter of 2011.

Throughout the project's 12-month licensing review, the Energy Commission will conduct public workshops and hearings in Kern County on the proposed plant to determine whether it should be certified for a license and under what set of conditions.

More information on the Beacon Solar Project is available on the Energy Commission website at: